JAMMU, May 18 : The Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, conducted a meeting with the district administration of Kishtwar and other relevant departments to assess the preparations for the smooth execution of the annual Shri Machail Mata Yatra. The Deputy Commissioner and concerned officers participated in the meeting remotely, while Director of Tourism, Vivekanand Rai; Deputy Director of Planning, Munish Dutta; Chief Engineers of JPDCL and PWD; Superintending Engineers of PMGSY and Jal Shakti, along with senior officials from Reliance, Airtel, and other concerned officers attended the meeting in person.
During the meeting, the Divisional Commissioner inquired about the overall infrastructure development requirements. The Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar briefed him on the progress made so far and presented the future work plan. The preparations for the annual Yatra, which generally commences on July 25, were reviewed. It was reported that various tasks have been identified for the development of basic facilities, roads, power supply, buildings, and improvement of communication services in the Shrine area and along the route. The Deputy Commissioner stated that the estimates for these tasks have been prepared and tenders would be issued shortly to initiate the necessary work.
The Div Com assessed the status of the roads and was informed that the 66 KM Kishtwar to Gulabgarh (Padder) road was already in existence, and an additional 21 KM PMGSY road would be completed from Gulabgarh Padder to Machail Mata Bhawan by the end of June 2023. He urged the Executive Engineer to expedite the progress and complete a greater length of the road to ensure a smooth conduct of the Yatra.
Regarding the provision of power supply, the DC Kishtwar informed that a dedicated genset was already installed in the Shrine area, and a solar plant would be set up to meet the power requirements. The Div Com also instructed the Chief Engineer of JPDCL to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the Yatra days.
Emphasizing the need for reliable telecom services for the pilgrims, the Div Com urged the district administration to facilitate the installation of towers by telecom service companies and resolve any issues related to land and power supply.
